The following description is provided to assist the understanding of the reader. None of the information provided or references cited is admitted to be prior art.
Microbial entities such as bacteria, viruses, spores, algae, and fungi are the common agents of disease, and a large amount of pharmaceutical research and a wide variety of products have been developed to counteract the conditions they cause. There exist several contemporary compositions and methods for reducing and/or eliminating the formation of harmful microbial entities. Natural health care and skin care products having antimicrobial properties have gained popularity for their effectiveness, safety, and value for money. These antimicrobial products find application in sanitizing compositions, deodorants, cleaning compositions, disinfectants, personal care products, home care products, cosmetics and the like. However, many of the known natural antimicrobial products are associated with disadvantages, such as, for example, having selective activity, i.e., some of these products work well against bacteria, but not against viruses or fungi, while some will work only against certain strains of bacteria. Moreover, many products lose their activity over a period of time as the pathogens become resistant to the product. There is, therefore, a need for a safe, natural antimicrobial product which provides protection against a broad spectrum of pathogens including viruses, bacteria and fungi without losing their effectiveness over a period of time.
There has been a dramatic increase in the concern for sanitizing, both of person and property, since the emergence of Swine flu. Hand sanitizing equipment is now routinely found in many public locations and private offices as well as in homes. A majority of the hand sanitizing products available in the market are alcohol based products which contain more than 60 percent alcohol concentration that is deemed necessary to kill most harmful bacteria and viruses. The alcohol present in hand sanitizers can also cause skin dryness, leading to broken skin, which exposes the body to the same contagions users are trying to prevent. There is also a concern that hand sanitizers could be a health hazard to the young if ingested in large amounts due to the alcohol content. The high alcohol content also makes this type of sanitizer very flammable and, therefore, must be kept away from open flames and other fire hazard environments.
Alternatives to alcohol based hand sanitizers are also available in the market. Some of these include chemicals such as benzalkonium chloride or triclosan, which are known to have serious side effects such as asthma, dermatitis, skin irritations, hypersensitivity and other immune dysfunctions. Severe health hazards of these chemicals including circulatory collapse, convulsions, coma, damage to liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs, paralysis, sterility, brain hemorrhages, hormonal disruption and death are also known. These products can also be a biohazard as these chemical compounds are not biodegradable. New sanitizing products must, therefore, find a compromise between greater antimicrobial efficacy and lower heath hazards and biohazards. Most of the presently available commercial products fail to optimize either attribute.
There is an increasing need for antimicrobial products effective against a broad range of pathogens which significantly reduce the harmful health and environmental hazards associated with other products without compromising their quality, stability and performance.